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Ranger Lord Tarkonis Whiteleaf
Ranger Lord Tarkonis (Tärk-änəs) Whiteleaf is a renowned Kaldorei hunter and aspiring ruler of his former homeland, Wintervhain; an island far north of Kalimdor. Most notably, Whiteleaf is the organizer of the Blue Ravens and the original commanding ranger of his land's military. In-game and OOC, "Tarkonis" is the Guild Master of ' Major Biography (Year -9,000 - Year 20) ''(As-per the long life-span of Night Elves, this biography is fairly long-winded. For major events, read '''Path of the Druid, Path of the Hunter, Torathiel's Death, Journey to Wintervhain / Fall of the Blue Raven)'' The specific date of Tarkonis Whiteleaf's birth is foggy. Like most Night Elves, he was estimated to have been born between the years -8,000 and -7,300 (the time just after the creation of Nordrassil). This would pin present-day Tarkonis to a man in his young adult years according to the elongated aging rate of the Kaldorei. Path of the Druid Whiteleaf was born into a family historically known for their strong druid offspring. At the time of Tarkonis' birth, the Night Elf world was at peace. Since the end of the War of the Ancients, the path of the druidic arts was becoming more clearly paved by Malfurion and the awoken druids. Tarkonis was immediately thrust into training by his mother, Lanadriel Whiteleaf. At the Kaldorei equivalent of 13 years-aged (Note: Nordrassil's gift of immortality still allotted Night Elf children to age), Tarkonis learned how to commune with the natural life essences that surrounded him; the most potent of these connections being with wildlife. He made numerous connections with forest creatures. Where his family failed to provide him with compassion and comfort, the forest wildlife made up for it. Path of the Hunter Tarkonis' father, Torathiel, was a high-ranking ranger and trusted servant of Tyrande Whisperwind. In his time off of the battlefield, he found what he regarded as a "rare beauty in the free, open wilds." He took the path of a hunter; purging his homeland's forests of invasive species and unnatural predators. His disposition toward the druids was one of distrust. He felt that the wilds could only retain balance if the disciples of Malfurion remained an exterior force. More so, he felt that deriving power from nature was selfish and unnatural. That being said, he wished more for his son to become a "balancer" of nature rather than a vessel of it. <''Related>'' The Discovery of Wintervhain (Year -7,100) In the midst of Tarkonis' druidic training, farseers from Mount Hyjal's high council (of which Lanadriel Whiteleaf possessed membership) communed with the powerful natural life essence of a distant island. After seemingly endless meditation, the council uncovered the existence of a small landmass; presently known as Wintervhain. Relatively close to the World Tree, the druid council feared that acquisition of this island by an opposing force would lead to an eventual invasion of northern Kalimdor. Lanadriel, being a strategic woman of action, suggested a moderately-sized group of skilled Kaldorei soldiers and workers dispatch themselves to the island. She desired a holding modest enough to keep the land from being easily taken but minimal enough to preserve the powerful life essence emanating from it. Unable to find a chair-holder more dedicated to the land's acquisition than Lanadriel, the council dubbed her commander of the effort and ruler of the land. Should she successfully claim the island in the High Priestess' name, her bloodline would be forever tethered to the position of lord or lady of the holding. Childhood Acquaintances - The Seed of Betrayal Isolated from the children who had not chosen (or had been forced into) the path of the druid, Tarkonis learned to enjoy his time alone. He would often wander off in his time away from training to observe the rest of society from a distance. He would write poems of what he saw. A translated excerpt from one of his writings is listed below "A tiny leaflet, I prattle in the senseless wind with my brethren Together, we prosper and turn emerald in the brazen sun The same trunk nourishing us The same pests plaguing us Nature forbears its own isolation But leaves are alone. They chide Elune's will Grown on separate stems. Separate trees And so I leave well enough alone I hie the inevitable And anon, we fall." ~ Excerpt from a young Tarkonis Whiteleaf's poetry collection Tarkonis acquainted a boy named Xenadrion; a mage in training who was a bit older than him. The two teen-aged Kaldorei quickly became the best of allies. Xenadrion's mother was a member of the high council, and thus the two Night Elves shared a topic in common. Despite being frowned upon by their parents, their friendship prospered due to their unnatural foil in personalities. While Tarkonis was a sullen speaker of nature, his counterpart was a flurry of optimism and childish wonder. Xenadrion spent countless days with Tarkonis. He filled his mind with tales of the east and of the great wars that threatened to end all life on Azeroth. Out of disdain for the druids, the young mage planted strategic inklings that tainted Tarkonis' view of his training. He constantly reminded him of the social isolation that was being forced upon him. Slowly, Tarkonis began to see his druidic training through the eyes of a lonely young boy. He grew closer to Xenadrion, as well as with many other non-druids (See Feyanor Valdrathil). Beyond Tarkonis' knowledge, Xenadrion's true desire was not Whiteleaf's friendship, but rather with the position of power his family would soon possess. Torathiel's Death A highly significant event in Tarkonis' life was a nature hike he took with his father and mother in Mount Hyjal. The two parents, separated in creed, argued whilst they walked their son through the forests near Nordrassil. Intended to be a strengthening of family bonds, their time together soon turned sour. Far off of the beaten path, the Kaldorei family trekked for days. They made camp in the middle of the wilderness at his mother's request. On the final day of the trip, upon their return to Nordrassil, Torathiel was fated to become caught in a vicious stray trap. Comprised of numerous Kaldorei blades and intended for a group of animals, the miniature glaive thrower fired blades that cut deeply into the ranger's unarmored body. Miles away from the nearest settlement, Lanadriel was forced to use her druidic abilities in hopes of diminishing her husband's wounds. While she did manage to minimize some of the gashes, Lanadriel was unable to heal the ranger's internal damage. Torathiel gruesomely bled out in front of his wife and son. The failure of his mother to save Torathiel pushed Tarkonis away from becoming a druid. He resented the training that he had received thus far, and discarded the knowledge from of his forethought. The wilds ceased their speaking to him and he lost all connection with the animals he once acquainted with. Seeking to survive his father's legacy, he took up his Torathiel's bow and trained to become a ranger. His years of training are undocumented. Though it is known that Tarkonis intentionally joined the group of Kaldorei training for Wintervhain's invasion. Journey to Wintervhain Upon the completion of Lanadriel's settlement force, Tarkonis and the men he had trained with were summoned to assist in the construction of the land's infrastructure. Among these men and women was Xenadrion, who applied his unmatched skills in spell-weaving to those of a ranger; thus becoming a spellblade sorcerer. He was named Shan'Do of Tarkonis' so-called "Blue Ravens." After research and observation of the island, it was named "Wintervhain," which means "Resisting Winter." The name arose from the fascination with Wintervhain's climate. Although the land was so far north, it failed to ice over like Northrend. Despite Tarkonis' blatant resentment toward Lanadriel, the two built Wintervhain from the ground up with metaphorical bullets in their teeth, arguing at every decision (See The Lost Island of Wintervhain). Lanadriel granted her son the lower half of the island in hopes of creating a military vantage point that was unconquerable. The druid also did this with intent of pleasing her son's desire to distance himself from her. The city of Ravelle was constructed and Tarkonis was named ranger-commander of its military forces. In the northern half of the island, Lanadriel constructed the city of Torath'Amar, after her late husband. This was to be the headquarters of all political activity on the island. Fall of the Blue Ravens (Year -6,200 - Year -6,000) Under the visible surface of Wintervhain's rise to glory, Xenadrion and those whom he managed to taint planned the downfall of the Whiteleaf line. The spellblade and his fellow magus summoned forces from the Nerubian Empire into the wilderness of Wintervhain. Xenadrion informed the Nerubians that Wintervhain was still undeveloped, and would be easily attainable. Desiring an expanded range of land holdings, the creatures agreed to assault the island. Burrowing beneath the Kaldorei holding, the insects went unnoticed until the time of their assault. Without reasonable opposition, the Nerubians swiftly took Torath'Amar; slaying Lanadriel in the process. The small pockets of land that the Kaldorei had under control were lost in quick succession. The Battle of Ravelle, the last breath of the Kaldorei settlers, took place a mere three weeks after the destruction of Torath'Amar. Tarkonis' Blue Ravens held off the Nerubian Empire for multiple days until the insects found a way to breach the city's runed walls. Once inside, the slaughter of Tarkonis' people and his closest allies in battle became a swift reality. The Blue Ravens were brutally dismantled by the savage Nerubians, leaving the city defenseless. Tarkonis made his last stand at the Court of the Pale Tree, located in the center of the city. With only a minuscule pocket of armed civilians, he fought off the creatures of darkness until he was but the only man left standing. Xenadrion delivered the killing blow, dispatching himself into battle. He defeated Tarkonis at the Court of the Pale Tree and took him into captivity. With the following quote, the spellblade sent Tarkonis back to Kalimdor to live in torment for his failure. "You were right, Tarkonis. We were grown on separate stems. And anon, the white leaf has fallen." ~ Xenadrion after the Battle of Ravelle Upon hearing of Lanadriel and Tarkonis' failure at the hands of the Nerubian Empire, the high council at Mount Hyjal concluded that retaking the island possessed a risk far greater than its reward. It was decided after much debate that since the Nerubians had little to no military infrastructure or means of transportation that they should be allowed to exist on Wintervhain in solitude. The effort to take the island was ceased in its entirety. Xenadrion and Tarkonis were declared slain in battle. Strangely, the Whiteleaf council chair was left open. Solitude - Rise of a New Order (-6,000 - Present) Whiteleaf returned to Kalimdor and moved to the icy forests of Winterspring. He was consistently observed from afar by the agents of Xenadrion in order to make certain that he had no intentions of reviving the Blue Ravens. Tarkonis became one of many seemingly expendable workers. He spoke little, and put all of his tenacity into the construction of Winterspring's infrastructure. Whiteleaf eventually joined the local watch. He failed to take on a leadership position within this force and showed little to no camaraderie with his fellow watchmen. Unbeknownst to Xenadrion's spies, this seemingly "broken spirit" was an intentional facade; for all the while, Tarkonis was in contact with the high council and was slowly recruiting pockets of men for the future reclaiming effort. At around year -4,000, the spies of Xenadrion finally returned to the island of Wintervhain, convinced that Whiteleaf no longer possessed the will to retake the land''. At this point, Tarkonis swiftly appeared before the high-council and spoke to them in full detail of the Nerubian's presence and of his friend's betrayal ''(For the rest of Xenadrion's story, see Icelord Xe'Narak). The council sympathized with him, but provided him with no forces to retake Wintervhain. They insisted that should Tarkonis wish to reclaim the island, he would have to procure his own men and purchase his own military infrastructure. For the next 4000+ years, Tarkonis focused on building his financial estate from the ashes of his parents and recruiting Kaldorei brave enough to assist him in the effort. (Note: Tarkonis did participate in the Battle for Mount Hyjal and other large scale Kaldorei conflicts, but as a low-ranking footman. During year 22, Tarkonis removed himself from the Winterspring Watch. Estimated near year 23, Tarkonis met and tamed his Polar Bear, Vaelka.) Upon the Night Elves' joining of the Grand Alliance in year 24, Tarkonis expanded his search to the Eastern Kingdoms and began recruiting the remaining allied races. The high council was disbanded and Tyrande was named High Priestess of the Kaldorei. However, she did allow the former members of the council a noble title, thus naming Tarkonis the rightful lord of Wintervhain should he reclaim it (an ultimatum similar to that of his mother's). Now, with the Burning Legion pushed into a corner, Tarkonis seeks to finish off his invasion force and reclaim the lost island of Wintervhain in the Alliance's name. (You've reached the end of Tarkonis' known history; the present day! '''Hoorah!')'' Appearence Tarkonis is a man of intelligence. His attacks are as strategic as they are elegant. He is armored minimally, as he rarely engages with an enemy at melee range. His lean build gives him the agility of a forest creature. Thick locks of icy blue hair are draped over his shoulders, though they are often pulled back behind his head during combat. His facial hair is trimmed precisely, his pale skin is nearly porcelain (save the occassional thin scar-line). White-feathered arrows poke confidently from his quiver, which is shaped like a raven. He carries his father's bow on his back. Upon closer observation, one could perhaps notice that Tarkonis' eyes glow with the faintest of blues. Tarkonis always travels with his close polar bear companion, Vaelka, as well as her son, Melki. Personality Tarkonis is fairly approachable. Though his past is riddled with scars, he rises above them and uses them to fuel his expertise in conflicts (a common druidic teaching). A born leader, Whiteleaf seeks to improve his rangers' skill as he would critique his own. In battle, he is confident, well-spoken, and holds the end-goal above all else. Should he be forced to retreat, which he rarely does, he will always find a way-back to complete the mission; even if it takes him an unprecedented amount of time. Tarkonis finds that the best way to teach a lesson is by skipping to the example. Though he would never intentionally wish harm upon his rangers, he does put them in situations that require their training to be survived. He never leaves his students to fend for themselves. Rather, he fights alongside them in order for them to take note. After years of isolation, Tarkonis has taken a liking to nights out with his comrades. He enjoys intellectual conversations and swapping stories with people he doesn't formerly know. He'll take any chance he can to enjoy the company of his fellow rangers. He doesn't shy away from social situations like many who have a shadowed past. Gruesome defeat has dulled the young brightness that once was. His sense of humor is rather dry, as he doesn't think of himself as a humorous person. Tarkonis lacks the ability to trust someone closely; keeping even his closest rangers far enough away as to keep him invulnerable. This does not mean that he acts differently or crossly toward his friends. Weaponry and Armor Tarkonis wears a light chain-mail set. This provides him with the agility he needs in battle as well as the representation of his Order's colors (pale blue). He wears a blue and grey cloak upon his back, the two clips of which are ordained with the crest of the Whiteleaf line. His upper chest is exposed, a symbol of bravery against all odds. Tarkonis carries his father's bow, an heirloom of the Whiteleaf family. The quiver is shaped like a raven with blue jewels in its eyes. Fun Facts / Trivia! * Tarkonis is a published author. He writes fictional stories based off of the events he faces in life (excerpts from his books will soon appear on this wikia!). * Tarkonis has only cut his hair once in his existence. * Tarkonis' animal companions, Vaelka and Melki, were saved from a sacrificial Harpy ritual by Whiteleaf and the Winterspring Rangers in year 23. Vaelka was carrying Melki at the time. * Tarkonis can play the lyre and harp. He enjoys performing in the new Stormwing Park and around Lion's Rest. * Tarkonis has a discoloration on his right rib cage from where Xenadrion pierced him with his spellblade. His skin never regained its normal pigment in that area. * His eyes glow a pale blue, a magical quality passed on to the Kaldorei inhabitants of Wintervhain. No one knows why this is.